Worker safety systems: practices, challenges, and perceptions of safety climate in public school district foodservice programs

Abstract

<p>The foodservice industry accounts for third highest in number of reported injuries in service-provided sectors of employment, approximately 4.6 injuries per 100 workers. The working foodservice environment may contribute to worker injury. School foodservice is the largest noncommercial foodservice market behind business and industry, thus large numbers of school foodservice workers may be at risk for injury.;The purpose of this study was to assess the status of foodservice worker safety in public school district foodservice programs. An electronic questionnaire was sent to 1,400 public school foodservice administrators in a national random stratified sample to determine the status of foodservice worker safety practices, perception of safety climate, and perceived challenges to implementing a worker safety system in public school foodservice programs.;Results from the survey of 209 school foodservice administrators were analyzed. Pearson's Correlation Coefficient analysis determined safety practices were highly correlated with school foodservice administrator perception of safety climate. Foodservice administrators employed by contract management companies had positive perceptions of safety climate. Perceived challenges to implementing a worker safety system was negatively correlated to safety practices.;In a multiple regression model, safety practices were significant. Perceptions of safety climate, perceived challenges, and contract management explained 48% of the variance in safety practices. Perceptions of safety climate contributed most to the model followed by management. Perceived challenges to implementing a foodservice worker safety system did not significantly contribute to the model. In an independent sample t-test, management companies scored significantly higher than self-operated programs in relation to safety practices. Regarding perceptions of safety climate, management companies indicated stronger perceptions of safety climate than respondents from self-operated programs did. Regarding perceived challenges, management companies perceived significantly fewer challenges to safety than respondents did from self-operated programs. Individuals with the SNS credential from the School Nutrition Association perceived more challenges to implementing a safety system than respondents without the credential. One-way ANOVA was used to compare safety practices, perceptions of safety climate, and perceived challenges to implementing a safety system with foodservice education level. Foodservice directors with some college education scored higher on safety practices than foodservice directors with a high school education only. ANOVA analyzed safety practices, perceptions of safety climate, and challenges toward safety with school district size (enrollment). No significant differences were found.;Strategies for achieving successful worker safety systems found in business and industry may be adapted for use in school district foodservice programs. This study lends itself to further research to explore multiple variables that might positively affect worker safety practices to reduce incidence of injury in school foodservice programs.</p>